


To Rant and Love

by PrintDust



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-01
Updated: 2014-08-01
Packaged: 2018-02-11 09:02:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2062098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrintDust/pseuds/PrintDust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Upon their arrival back at the farm, Rick passed Randall off to Daryl with clear instructions to tie him in the barn and isolate him from the rest of the group. Shane scoffed and stomped off toward the Winnebago, pulling his shirt over his head. Running his hand through his hair he looked around their small camp, to Andrea keeping watch, and then Carol crouched down next to the fire. He was surprised to see that his wife wasn't with her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Rant and Love

Upon their arrival back at the farm, Rick passed Randall off to Daryl with clear instructions to tie him in the barn and isolate him from the rest of the group. Shane scoffed and stomped off toward the Winnebago, pulling his shirt over his head. Running his hand through his hair he looked around their small camp, to Andrea keeping watch, and then Carol crouched down next to the fire. He was surprised to see that his wife wasn't with her.

"Lori around?" he asked her.

Carol shook her head, squinting as she looked up at him. Her eyes widened a little at the sight of his face. When he didn't offer up an explanation she turned back to the fire. "She's been in the house all day running around after Beth – went for a nap about half-an-hour ago," she supplied.

"Thanks," Rick nodded, touching her shoulder as he stepped around her to head towards the cluster of trees where they'd set up their small village of tents. As he unzipped the flapped door he glanced over his shoulder to Shane who'd taken a seat next to Carol at the fire. Their eyes met over Carol's hands as she cleaned up the other man's face with a dish rag and hot water.

Turning away, Rick moved to step inside the tent but was stopped by Lori's voice, his foot in mid-air. "Shoes," she reminded him, turning over to face him, her words slurred and thick with sleep.

Grunting, he put his foot down and toed off his boots, steadying himself against the thin flexible pole that held up the front part of their tent. He looked over to find Lori watching him, her hazel eyes dull and still dreamy. She looked very relaxed, her left hand draped loosely over the side of their air-mattress, her hair sprawled out across her pillow and forehead. He watched the slow rise and fall of her chest, and the way her locket glinted in the muted sunlight that streamed through a mesh window vent on the roof.

When he stepped inside and approached her though, all traces of sleep vanished from her expression as her pupils dilated, snapping into focus. He stopped her from sitting up by placing one hand on her shoulder, his other lifting to gesture for her to relax. "It's just a few bumps," he assured her. When she settled back into her pillow he shifted so that he was sitting beside the bed, then collected her hand in his, resting on her right hip.

Lori made a tsking sound as she inspected the cut on his brow and the trail of blood that had smeared across his temple. "Walkers at the high-school, few dozen of them," he explained, wincing as her fingers prodded his black eye and cheekbone.

"Just head-butted you right in the face then," she drawled softly, her voice tinted with sarcasm. "They do your lip in too?" she asked after a moment, her thumb grazing the split skin, making the wound sting.

Sighing, he shook his head, not sure what exactly he was trying to tell her with the gesture. Using his legs he pushed himself up and climbed over her, careful not to jab her with his knees; she wasn't exactly one-hundred-percent herself after the car accident. His hand settled on the spot under her ribs where she'd been feeling quite tender, and he slid his arm under her head too to pull her closer. "You should see the other guy," he quipped dryly, moving to press a kiss to her cheek but catching the tip of her nose instead when she craned her neck to look at him.

"Not funny," she huffed, her expression tightening. "I told you -," she began, her voice weary.

"It won't be a problem anymore," Rick interjected, kissing her again, this time on her mouth.

Lori groaned and broke his kiss, turning over so that her back settled against his chest.

"You alright?" he asked, feeling a touch of concern when she pulled her hand out of his to rest it against her temple. He leaned over to peer at her profile. "Headache?"

Lori nodded lightly, the corner of her mouth lifting into a wobbly smile that seemed fragile enough that he could break a thread and have it fall away. "Yeah," she confided, reaching down to collect his hand again, her fingers weaving through the spaces between his. She settled the complete puzzle of their joined hands low onto her stomach and sighed. "I forgot about this part of the first trimester. The nausea is one thing… the exhaustion is another."

Rick offered the back of her head a sympathetic frown and pulled her closer. "You should get some more sleep," he encouraged, wondering if he should ask Hershel to give her a look over.

Eyes closed she groaned again. "I've gotta get back to the house to get dinner ready."

"Maybe you should take the night off – let Carol and Maggie handle it," he suggested, and then watched her profile flicker, her mouth setting into a grim line. "Should I get a bucket?" he asked.

Lori chuckled softly. "No," she blew out a long breath. "It's just been a long day. Beth's been a handful… Maggie… chores are pilin' up faster than we can get through them. Not to mention Andrea."

Her clipped tone had him lifting his head and eyebrow curiously. "Andrea?" he pressed.

She shook her head, "You boys don't get to have all the fun." Lori turned her face, to look up at him. Reaching out he smoothed away the wrinkle that was formed by her pinched brow. "I sort of snapped at her about her not contributing to the chores," she admitted, pursing her lips. "Maybe it wasn't my place, but the laundry isn't too good for her when she's first in line to change into it when it comes off the line."

Rick nodded, waiting for her to continue. He could tell that she was still burning to say more by the look in her eyes – pent up frustration that was usually aimed at him.

"And she crossed the line, bringing up Shane. Accusing me of being selfish because apparently I've offended her personally by you and Carl still being alive. Not to mention the baby…" she vented.

Rick swallowed, grateful despite his throbbing black eye that he and Shane could at least have it out by blows – women fighting was enough to make him want to bury his head in the sand. Lori was still ranting softly, and he placed his hand on her cheek to quiet her. "You want me to talk to her about the chores?"

"It isn't about the chores," Lori huffed, turning her back on him again. "It's the principle. She shouldn't expect dinner on the table and clean clothes while acting like Carol and I are somehow lesser than her for providing it all."

Bending down he kissed her cheek again. "I appreciate what you do," he promised, kissing her ear, then the curve of her neck. "I appreciate everything you do…"

Lori chuckled softly. "I still have a headache, so the only thing I'm doing is getting a few more minutes of sleep."

"I could always…" he ventured, tracing his hand down over the swell of her breast to her ribs, downward until he found the waist of her pants.

"Andrea might disapprove," she joked, unbuttoning her jeans, already turning onto her back, her thighs spreading to give him access. "I wouldn't want to be selfish."

Smothering her mouth with his own, he silenced her. He did not want to talk about Andrea… or Shane, or Beth or Carl, or Randall, or anyone else. He just wanted his wife, in their bed, and enough time to show her how very much he appreciated her indeed.

The rest could wait.


End file.
